Rabbi Wachsman

Well, I must admit that I am impressed.

I do not know whether Rabbi Wachsman read my letter to him, or the other blog comments about him, but his tone was universally recognized to be drastically different from what we have seen from him in the past.

His speech, in my prior words, was 'tightly reasoned' in its logic (not necessarily saying I can at this point agree with all of it), which still leaves me somewhat awed at the change in style when contrasted with his past appearances.

I also sincerely want to compliment Mesivta Torah Vodaath for teaching Rav Wachman an excellent English, and imbuing him with the desire to (his own words) read about Einstein in the Bais Hakovod. Kein Yirbu.

Here are some points made at the convention by Rabbi Wachsman:

• We do not properly appreciate Gedolei Yisroel
• We are incapable of directly learning the Torah of previous generations without a contemporary interpreter, in other mesorah ( A rishon without mesorah is 'irrelevant')
• We cannot use an individual Godol's opinion to overturn the mass of opinions of Gedolei Yisroel
• Anyone can make himself look like a Talmid Chacham on a blog, but it takes a Talmid Chacham , and only a Talmid Chacham, to know one

Some of these opinions are obviously controversial (particularly the middle two). The manner in which they were expressed was also unbending. They were all at one end of the spectrum of opinion, not the middle. (Example: Rav Wachsman stated Gedolim are possessed of "flawless logic"(sic), for example. I didn't think that sort of phraseology applied to mortal man.) Nevertheless, they were made with intent to persuade, and persuade they did.

Rabbi Wachsman used the famous Sherut L'umi issue of the 1950's to illustrate necessary obeisance to Gedolim (paraphrased):

After what was viewed as a historic compromise allowing community service for girls in place of army service, the Chazon Ish torpedoed the compromise by paskening 'yeharog v'lo ya'avur' to Sherut L'umi. When asked by a Rov where it says that a person should let himself be killed for something which is apparently not one of the three cardinal sins, the Chazon Ish opened his over-garment, exposing the shirt over his heart and said "(it says it) here".

Okay, it's strong stuff. But Rav Wachsman was obviously attempting to explicate and explain, not bulldoze, a change in tone for him. And we free wheeling bloggers and readers should be able to handle logic even when it is not what we want to hear, right?

So what's Leapa's take?

1. Yes, it is halachically required to respect everyone, even more so Rabbonim, Talmidei Chachamim, and Gedolim. I, for one, will try harder.
2. While mesora is undoubtedly important, I cannot accept, that we cannot learn Rambam, for example, directly without it being filtered through Reb Chaim Brisker and Rav Aharon Kotler and Rav Aharon's einiklach. Rav Wachsman, you said we cannot understand and emulate a Godol of 60 or 70 years ago. Well, Rav Aharon, your prime example of a contemporary godol, is almost there !! Moreover, your proof from Choni Hamagil, that he asked for his life to be taken because he could not communicate with the third generation downstream, seems a tzurich iyun. Your conclusion will certainly lead to less Torah learned, if we cannot learn a blatt gemora or a Rishon without learning it through R Boruch Ber on the sugya. And Rav Wachsman, not everyone has the opportunity in life for a Rebbe Muvhak. Moreover, you know that there are contemporary Gedolim familiar with the same proofs you bring who have completely abolished shiurim for older bochurim, in the belief that they will have more success on their own.
3. Much of klal yisroel follows individual Gedolim and not the majority, and almost everyone does sometimes. We are not a religion or a people which takes polls to follow a majority, even of Gedolim. Do you feel all these yiden (almost none of whom are bloggers) are wrong? Furthermore, you propose that klal Yisroel has always followed the Gedolim 'elected' by other Gedolim. Is that historically accurate? How about the Baal Shem Tov, for example?
4. You are right about technology enabling one to look better than he is in Torah, but some talmidei chachamim have also grown in isolation from Gedolim for many years of their careers. Maybe even most. (The Chazon Ish is not a bad example.) Maybe a blogger (to my sorrow, not me) will be the next Godol to appear. As the NY Lottery ad says, you never know.

It seemed to me that the examples of Piskei Gedolim Rabbi Wachsman selected were all taken from periods of eis laasos, during or after historic upheavals when there was not time or opportunity to reason, or where the situation dictated urgent action.

Overall, I echo Hirhurim in my compliments to Agudath Israel of America for airing an important and controversial topic. I feel it could have been handled more positively, with concrete proposals.

Nevertheless, I feel it was an honest effort.

My comments on Rabbi Zwiebel and Rav Solomon to follow.

To hear R' Wachsman's speech: Call (718)906-6400 press 1 for english, 8 for Special Topics, 5 for Agudas Yisroel, 1 for convention, and 7 for Rabbi Wachsman.